Patricia Neely-Dorsey

Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat

I don't think I've ever picked up a book that brings back as many memories as Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia. And the memories were all good memories. It made me remember growing up in the south and participating in the activities the poems represent. From the "Partyline" which talks about growing up with a telephone number shared by others, to the "Baptismal Sunday" which took place in a pond instead of a baptismal pool, and on to the "Making Cracklins" which I can still see my grandmother doing.

I have many favorites in this little book of memories but two that touched me the most were "Shelling Peas" and "Slopping Hogs." These two poems really took me back to my childhood while growing up in the south. So, if you are a Southerner and would like to awaken some memories of when life was more laid back, this book is a must read. If you're not from the south, reading Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia will let you see what you missed. For me, this is a book I'll cherish forever.… (plus d'informations)

Patricia Neely-Dorsey has written a book of poems which will resonate with many Mississippians and Southerners. Her poetry reminds readers of a simpler time when neighbors gathered to slaughter the hogs and make cracklin at the end of the day, when doctors made house calls and accepted payment with hams, slabs of bacon, or whatever the patient could give, and when manners were learned at an early age and remembered throughout life. She writes of the common and everyday things. I relived some of my own childhood memories as I read her poem about "Reed's Department Store" and about the "Partyline." Most of the poems followed an ABCB rhyme scheme. My favorite poems in the book were those in which she broke away from this meter -- "Country Living," "Neighborhood Groceries," and "Warm and Fuzzy" are examples of these. One poem that did follow the ABCB rhyme scheme seemed to stand heads and shoulders above most of the others. This was "Our Place." It seemed that more time had been taken in selecting the perfect words for this poem. The author's love for her home state of Mississippi is evident throughout the book. While the poems are not on a par with those of Maya Angelou, Neely-Dorsey has written a book that will be loved by persons who appreciate the depiction of Southern life. I received this book from the author with the expectation that a review would be written.… (plus d'informations)